A First Kiss
by Sarahbeth Lazic - Author
Summary: This one night sealed centuries of passion. This one night would bring to fruition a promise of love spoken when their souls were first created. Wyvern Rhadamanthys, Judge of Hell and General to Lord Hade's army of Specters, had finally found his Starmate. Bethany new from one look to his eyes, she was never leaving his side. (Warning: Lemons)


First Kiss Sarahbeth Lazic

First Kiss 

~ A Wyvern Rhadamanthys Erotica ~

First Kiss ~ Eagiel

**H**e was a predator.

She could feel his gaze burning right into her soul, caressing her - calling her.

He didn't move from where he stood before the blazing fireplace, watching her with his intense gaze.

Beth's heart pounded within her slender chest, rampaging about within her body with white hot flames. Her flesh shivered, spreading cool little bumps of unease across her skin. As she stood beneath the man's scrutiny, she allowed her eyes to glance about with small little motions.

Just what in hell was she doing in this man's room? What part of insanity had possessed her to agree to his offering? He asked her to join him for the night, to stay with him in his home and in his bed to wake with him at her side. She should have declined his offer, deciding more to leave the residence instead of falling into the sensual suggestions that were promised by him.

She should have, yet before Beth could register his words she heard her little voice reply with a breathy and trembling, "Yes."

Beth should have taken a minute to consider his invitation, an offering of one night full of passion and of desire, yet it had been impossible when he was walking towards her on determined strides with intimidating masculinity radiating from him.

If she had, she would be driving back to her home instead of standing frozen to the floor, her body trembling from the inside out.

She knew what she had agreed to, a night full of passion and desire. Beth prided herself on being a proud woman, a woman who didn't need the attention of men, who preferred her single life without a fussy man throwing complaints and needs into her calm waters. But then she met this man, a man simply known as Lord Rhadamanthys. He was governor of the home she had been invited to, a home that she had visited on tour just a few days ago.

That's when she met him. Their eyes caught as he so happened to step across the second story balcony as she was standing bored with the tour group. A pull had taken her gaze upwards, and there she saw him.

Time had slowed, or so it seemed, as they stared at each other. He had captivated her to the point where she had not realized the tour group had moved on. Beth had never felt fear, respect, anticipation and desire flood her all at once. But when he walked down the staircase and towards her, she was bombarded with the man's charming English nobility washing off of him. Her knees had gone week and her heart had fallen still within her chest when he reached out to take her hand, raising the back of slender knuckles to his lips.

There had been a short introduction of names, but she couldn't remember what exactly had been said and hoped that she had been able to mumble her name without sounding the fool. Something must have gone right for he invited her back to his home and to an elaborate party he was holding the next evening.

She accepted and returned with hesitation shadowing her. She expected to be treated like a fish out of water, an outsider to nobility and the wealthy who showed up for the fine dinner. Beth didn't even expect to get a second hello from him. But he had been waiting for her, and the moment she walked into the ballroom of the historical manner house, Rhadamanthys greeted her with passion in his eyes and a bold kiss to her cheek.

He welcomed her as if he had known her for decades, waiting for her to return to him. That is how she felt the entire evening, that she wanted and that she belonged at the man's side - where he kept her, introducing her on a level of familiarity.

By the end of the evening, the two had retreated to the back gardens where they strolled arm in arm, chatting quietly and comfortably between themselves. Their conversations drifted from topic to topic and not once did he make Beth feeling uncomfortable - or unwanted. They laughed, and Beth discovered that Rhadamanthys' laughter spread more than want through her, but the overwhelming need to be as close as she could to him.

Sadly, the evening had slipped away from them and before she knew what was happening, Rhadamanthys was needing to return to his guests to bid them all a farewell for the night. He asked her to stay till they had left so he could formally thank her for attending.

She waited on pins and needles as the last guest departed the home, and when the large front doors closed, their wood on metal locking echoing the now empty entry hall, she jerked.

She found it slightly disturbing that the beating of her heart fell into the rhythm of his steps as he walked to her.

Taking a breath, he had given her a tight but seductive smile and said in his baritone accent, "I'm very glad that you came."

Beth's voice had hitched within her throat, and her answer bubbled up in tumble of words. "I wasn't sure if I should."

"Why?"

"We don't know each other, and inviting a stranger to a personal event seems a little unusual."

"Does it?"

"Yes."

"I had not considered my invitation unusual."

"It took me off guard, really. I came to see your home. I didn't expect to be invited to a formal dinner. Like I said, we don't know each other. Why invite me?"

Beth remembered the way the man's golden brown eyes darkened with heat that she could only describe as being desire. She remembered her breath failing her when he stepped closer, and when his touch settled to her cheek, fingers caressing, Beth was very worried she was going to faint.

From deep within her, Beth had felt an unknown and unexplainable emotion wrap about her heart, no, her heart. As she stared into his eyes, an unimaginable sensation of Déjà vu came over her, and before her eyes, images of this man flashed within her mind's eyes, moving so quickly she couldn't pinpoint details.

Before she knew what was happening to her, Beth had felt a hot tear trickling down her cheeks. She remembered stepping away from him, mumbling incoherent words as he reached for her.

"Stay with me tonight, Beth."

What happened after that was nothing more than a missing moment in time, a memory lost to the void of Beth's mind.

She didn't remember how she got to his room, but she was there. And so was he.

How long they had been staring at each other in uncomfortable, tightening silence was beyond her.

Questions filled her thoughts. So many questions. Why would he want her to stay? Why did he invited her to the party? Why her? There was no easy answer to those question.

"I want you to know,' Beth heard herself mutter all of a sudden, 'that I normally do not make it a habit of staying in the room of a stranger." She waved a hand with her eyes closing as she shook her head ever so daintily. "So please don't think I'm an easing pick for a night of entertainment."

Wyvern's golden brown eyes narrowed. Powerful strides carried him across the room, coming to stand before Beth. He reached out to touch a bent finger beneath her chin to raise her gaze to him. "I would never think you anything other than an honest woman, Beth."

She gulped beneath his intense gaze. "Yet you ask me to stay with you. Why?"

"So I can confirm what my soul already knows is true."

Beth shivered. Her eyes searched his as a deep breath tore through her lungs. When he brushed a finger along her cheek to wipe away the slick remains of the tear that had fallen, she felt her heart flap about wildly within her chest. "I don't understand."

"Do you believe in past lives, Beth?" asked Wyvern in all seriousness.

She nodded. "Yes. I do."

"And do you believe in predestined lives? Of soul mates and of cell memories?"

Again she nodded. "I always have. Why are you asking me these questions?"

Gently, he took one of her hands to bring the palm against his chest, over his heart. "What did you feel when you first saw me? Be honest with me. Don't answer from the logic of your brain, answer from your heart."

Licking her lips, she whimpered softly in confusion. Her slender, manicured brows furrowed in deepening thought as she tried to seek the answer to his question. "I felt as if I have known you, that I've seen you somewhere before. But I don't know where."

He nodded. "What else?"

"Your eyes,' she said after a second, 'there's something in your eyes that captivated me. I felt drawn to you, as if there was something inside me pulling me to you. I wanted to move, but I couldn't. Before you even descended the stairs I could feel your presences as if you were standing before me. And I knew what your voice was to sound like before you even spoke a single word."

Beth frowned, her eyes shifting away. "I saw memories flashing before my eyes, memories I didn't know I had. And when you asked me to stay, I felt my heart break apart in elation. I felt like crying in joy."

Lifting her head, she looked to Wyvern with her lips turning to a very heavy scowl. "Why would I feel that way towards you? I've never met you before. Why would I see you in my mind, but in flashes that I can't even put together or even remember?"

After a quick moment, she shook her head. "I'm suddenly very confused."

A slight smile jerked a corner of Rhadamanthys' lips but quickly vanished. "I see. That can happen."

She scowled. "I don't understand."

Taking a deep breath, Rhadamanthys raised her hand away from his chest to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. "You have known me, Beth, and for a very long time. Our souls would know one another on first glance. Even if we were ten miles away, our souls would know the other is around, and we would feel an intense draw to find the other no matter where we are. Time was all that was holding us back from searching, but Fate stepped in and brought us together tonight."

"Like how I suddenly had the want to come here today, even though I had no idea where I was going or the name of your estate?"

Wyvern nodded with a slight grin etching his lips.

"What is going on?" she asked softly and with a touch of fright riding her voice. Beth shook her head as her brows curled down over her gentle eyes. She blinked when he raised her features, and she saw that he had closed one more inch between their bodies. "Why can't you answer my questions?"

He smiled, an odd placed smile of gentility and sympathy. The rules set down by Gaia were greatly enforced by the Mother Goddess. Rhadamanthys could not disclose the truth to his Starmate till she accepted him, till she could find the love for him that has been reborn within her soul ever generation. When she could admit that inborn passion and desire for him, then he could give her the answers she so desperately needed.

Dipping his head, Rhadamanthys pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. "You already have the answers you seek inside of your heart. You only need me to guide you to those answers."

Trailing his lips across her cheek, he set a kiss to the corner of her lips. "Will you trust me?" he asked ever so softly with a flutter of his cool breath teasing her lips.

Beth whimpered, her eyes closing beneath long lashes. She leaned towards the touch of his lips and the caress of his breath with her own lips opening in a subtle request for another kiss. And when her eyes parted open, their gazes locked. Before she could stop herself, a tiny nod was given to his question.

Cupping her face in his deadly hands, the great Judge of Hell captured her mouth in a warm and intense kiss. He heard her suck in a breath then moan sweetly. When her lips parted, he took the advantage, slipping his tongue along her lower lip before moving the slick muscle forwards and into the sweet recesses of her mouth.

The woman in his arms quivered, returning his kiss with building passion. The questions of whether or not she made the correct decision in following him to his room vanished. She never thought again to the consideration that she should have gone back to her hotel in London.

Beth had stayed, making her choice and giving him her hand in pure trust. Deep from within her, a tiny little voice begged her to trust him, to give him her hand and to allow him to guide her to the answers she wanted.

He could smell her lingering discomfort, and he could feel every tiny tremble that trickled through her body. He didn't like the fact that he and this moment was a point of fright for her. This is not how their reunion should be feeling. Then again, there was nothing set in Gaia's law stone that said a Starmate would automatically fall into the arms of their lover with words of love and dedication tumbling from their lips. No. Gaia made sure that all of the God Warriors, the Specters, the Saints, the Mariners - all of them - would need to work for their Starmates and for the love that was reborn within them.

Wyvern was forbidden to tell Beth any part of their past lives, who he was, who she was and their purpose together. Only after she proclaims her love for him could he divulge his true identity and the secrets to the Pull she was feeling. The Specter didn't appreciate being silenced by some Goddess. He didn't appreciate following orders that hindered his life, his plans and his future. However, there was no other choice for him.

Swallowing his pride, he broke the kiss with one last caress touched to her cheek. Drawing back, the Specter ran his eyes over her shaking body. He had to calm himself, regain his control that was simmering upon the verge of collapse.

Holding his Starmate was truly humbling, perhaps a little overwhelming. With all that he had gone through in this life time, the battles, the Holy War, his death and then his rebirth, holding her like this was certainly a moment of comfort that he had been craving for decades.

Ending the kiss did little to bring control back to Wyvern Rhadamanthys. Instead, the dismissal only increased the Pull he was experiencing. He wanted to kiss her once more, harder and deeper – passionately. He wanted to hold her in his arms, embrace her and feel her against him. He wanted to protect her - to kill for her.

More to the truth, Wyvern Rhadamanthys wanted to spend one night with her and to experience the hot passion he knew kindled within her beautiful body. He sought to touch her from the moment he saw her. After all, he had known her soul for thousands of years. And now, after two hundred years of being separated, she had returned to him.

Beth was more beautiful than he could have imagine, even more so than he remembered. With each century their souls were reunited after their rebirth, she was more beautiful than the last body her soul had occupied. Her natural beauty was very refreshing to him since he lived in an upper-class society filled with painted on aristocracy and fake smiles and individuals clothed in the most expensive fake sheep's wool that could be imported.

Within the darkness of his room, beneath the kisses of dancing shadows cast by the flickering fire, her alabaster skin glowed. Wyvern craved to feel her, the silkiness of her skin and the warmth of her breath caressing past her lips in breathy, hot moans. His fingers twitched with nothing more than the pulling need to dig into the pile of luscious rosewood hair that was elegantly and precisely piled atop her head.

If she thought that she was nervous, Rhadamanthys made the uncomfortable discovery that he was as well. Every fiber of his being was on fire with desire, raw hunger and anxious need. His pulse pounded throughout his body, sending wave after wave of hot blood through his veins. It took every ounce of his simmering control not to grab at her, rip that bloody gown from her body, throw her to his bed and claim her as his. He wanted her flesh free to him, to his touch and to his lips. Even his golden brown eyes were begging to see the vision that was the hidden curves of her body blocked away beneath the sequin crusted gown of pale rose.

But no, he couldn't resign to acting like an uncultured and unsophisticated braggart. If this night was to progress properly, Wyvern would need to hold onto his control. This night was to be perfect, no mistakes for this would be the moment when Wyvern Rhadamanthys, General to the Lord Hade's army of undead Specters, awakens the soul of his Starmate, the soul he had been bound to for centuries.

Tipping his head ever so slightly to the side, a lock of blonde falling before an eye, the Specter General stepped away from her, his steps falling quiet upon the thick carpet as a soft whisper of silk rustled about him in the caress of fabric to flesh. He came to stand before the large stone fireplace, where flames danced - crackling and snapping. He raised a hand out to her in offering.

"Come to me, Bethany," he ordered in his smooth yet rich voice.

Beth's heart skipped a few powerful beats to the command he gave her. The instant melting of heat, curling through her tummy, came from the way his deep, unique voice teased her senses. Those beautiful copper eyes slowly moved from the man's handsome features down to the held out hand.

Move…

Taking a jerking breath, Beth forced her legs in to motion in methodical and cautious steps.

Rhadamanthys couldn't help but grin as she came to him, even if her steps were slowed by hesitation. The soul within her body could never ignore a command from him - never. When she was closer to him the delicate scent of rose petals assaulted his keen senses, sweeping and spreading throughout him. He groaned from deep inside as if he could taste the roses upon her flesh. He couldn't wait any longer. Wyvern had a small level of patience when it came to something he desired, or wanted to kill. When it came to the woman he desired and claimed as his Starmate, however, there was no ounce of control that he couldn't break with simple ease.

The Specter moved forwards, closing the short distance between the two of them. Before Beth could react, he had his fingers threading up into her bound hair and his mouth upon hers. The woman whimpered to the contact, her body suddenly shuddering as his mouth sealed hers in a kiss that stole both their breaths away.

Beth wasn't expecting such a kiss, and so quickly! Her eyes were as wide as saucers the moment his hot, demanding mouth claimed hers in the potent embrace. She moaned, whimpered and trembled beneath the intensity, the power and the heat. Never before had she been kissed like this, with such passion! Not even her ex-fiancé had gifted her with such an embrace. The way Wyvern's lips pressed and danced against hers sent shiver after shiver along her spine. Before she could stop herself, Beth had her arms about his neck with her fingers curling decorative nails into his uneven locks of blonde. She pressed herself to him, seeking out the sensation of having a strong male body against her. Her lips parted when she felt the delicate caress of the tip of his tongue skimming over her lips.

Wyvern growled against her mouth. The intimate response of her body pressing to him urged him to deepen the kiss, pressing forwards with his tongue as her sweet petals opened. A full body shudder tore through him when he tasted the sweetness of her mouth once again. His resolve pressed tight causing him to shake on the inside.

There was no going back now. Lovers could not fight their urges when the dam of physical attraction ruptured, shattering waves of sexual waters that drove the desperation of lovers who spanned time.

Beth whimpered to the sensation of his tongue sweeping about within her mouth in expert motions. The heat and the thickness were incredible, and the man himself was so very talented with the use of his tongue.

Wyvern tore his mouth from hers, his breath hitching with each draw of air into his lungs. Groaning, he dipped his head to trail kisses along her jaw before burying his handsome features to the nook of her neck. He waited to speak so his heart could calm and so his voice wouldn't crack upon the first word that would tumble forth. After a few short breaths he asked softly, "Do you have any idea what you do to me, Bethany?"

The hot whisper that fell against the shell of her ear had a hard tremble coursing through Beth's body. Her eyes fluttered closed beneath thick, dark lashes as her body arched ever so slightly with the want to feel more of him. "No, I don't," was her reply that came in a voice that was barely a whisper.

Without drawing his features from her neck, Wyvern took one of her wrists to draw nails from his flesh. He pressed her palm over his heart where the muscle pounded hard and fast, beating only when masquerading as a living man upon the Earth's surface. "Do you feel that, the strong beating of my heart?" he asked softly. "My heart is pounding so fast and so hard that it hurts."

Curling fingers against the silk fabric of his shirt, Beth could indeed feel the rampant rhythm of his beating heart. The ferocity frightened her, not to the point of fearing him but to the point of fearing the strength she could feel being held within him. She could feel power radiating through his chest.

The faintest caress of lips to her neck drew Beth from her uneasy thoughts. She tipped her head, pressing her cheek into Wyvern's sandy blonde hair as the man trailed a tiny path of kisses along her jawline.

"You are a witch, my lady,' Rhadamanthys purred in thought as he leaned back so his eyes captured hers, 'as your spells have firmly taken root within me."

Beth drew open her copper tinted eyes, shadowed and hazed over with the simmering embers of lust. A tiny smile touched her lips and she raised her features as if expecting another kiss. "I hold no spells over you,' she replied, 'I wouldn't even know how to cast one."

Chuckling, Wyvern raised her hand from his heart to brush his lips over her knuckles. "Perhaps you have a natural talent unknown to you."

Beth's cheeks flushed as she watched the way his lips ghosted along her fingertips and the back of her hand. "I have talent for baking pies and cobblers, not casting spells."

"Is that so?" Arching a brow, Wyvern grinned to her. "Then tomorrow you'll have to bake me a pie. I haven't had one in many years and am rather partial to a well-made Sheppard's pie." He then added with a slight shrug, "Or a gooseberry."

"I could make you one tonight if you'd like. I'd have to see what you have in the pantry. An apple pie shouldn't take more than…."

Her words were cut off from the press of a finger to her lips. The single digit trailed a rough path beneath her chin to draw her thoughts back to him. Wyvern dipped his head to where his lips were but an inch over hers. "Tomorrow. I have no want for a pie tonight."

Beth swallowed. Her lips parted as if expecting a kiss to befall them.

A slight, dark smile touched Wyvern's lips upon seeing the expectation gracing Beth's beautiful features. Instead of kissing her, he brushed a finger along her parted mouth and watched the soft flesh indent from the pressure of his touch.

As stupid as her question seemed in her mind, it was even sillier to ask. Yet she couldn't stop the words from coming as she stared almost stupefied to the mysterious and very handsome young Lord. "What do you want then?"

The answer came in a look, one penetrating and sizzling look that would turn any woman into a puddle of dark desire. The way his eyes slid within slender sockets was so slowly that it seemed time had slowed to a stop. He was watching her again and with a hungered gaze that Beth was sure she felt reaching into her soul.

"What I want…" The words dripped form his lips in a heated whisper as he brought his other hand to trail fingers down the arch of her throat, down over her collarbone then further along the parting of pale fabric that cuddled and kissed her tightly held breasts.

Beth sucked in a little gasp of breath. Her eyes fluttered closed and she sensually arched her throat in offering to his touch with a soft little moan of excitement and of anticipation pressing past her lips.

"What I want…" He repeated the simple statement as his deadly fingers began to slowly pull upon a string of the laced corset. "I already have."

There was an underlined tone to his voice that fractured a part of Beth, a part she had never felt before yet was flooded instantly with yearning. From deep within her that tiny little voice cried out in bliss as the overwhelming want to embrace him nearly floored her. She sighed so sweetly the moment Wyvern's lips came upon her own, hard and wantonly. Willing, soft petals parted and her tongue slipped forwards to taste the recesses of his mouth as the man looped an arm about her slender hips. She was drawn against him till their bodies were pressed in perfect connection. Beth's mind drifted far away, and another tug was given to the laces of the corset.

Before a single thought could form within her mind, a deadly and strong hand cupped one of her clothed breasts. Beth moaned to the intense feeling of his fingers giving tentative and easy caresses. The moan turned in to a sweet whimper when he began to massage her, caressing and squeezing the plush breast till Beth was left breathless.

"Don't be afraid,' whispered the Hell Judge as he nipped her lips, 'I could never harm you."

Beth tipped her head back to the feeling of Wyvern's lips playing down her chin to nip and suckle the hollow of her throat. With a throaty sigh, she threaded fingers up through his disheveled hair. "I'm not afraid of you."

A grin spread against her throat. Wyvern lifted his head, drawing his hot gaze upwards. "Oh really? Then why are you trembling?"

Beth licked her lips as her eyes locked to his with a tiny smile tugging upon the corner of her mouth. "Am I trembling?"

Wyvern chuckled a deep, reverberating chuckle. With a sly grin, he backed away from her, drifting his eyes along her form. He didn't hold back the heated look or the way he drank in her form and was rewarded by an obvious shudder that dragged along Beth's body. He took yet another step then lowered himself to recline in a high-back leather chair set before the fireplace, long legs stretching out before him.

With a few fingers he motioned her towards him and purred sinfully, "Show me your excitement, Beth."

Another command sent a race of cold shivers down Beth's spine. She stood frozen before the crackling fire with her eyes trained upon the handsome man as he reclined with perfect comfort and ease with an elbow bent and fingers curled beneath a cheek.

If she continued to stand where she was, Beth would look like a fool. Closing her eyes, she centered herself with a deep breath. She wasn't a simpering virgin with the imagination of a nun. She knew what he was wanting.

Licking her dry lips, Beth raised her eyes to his then slowly began to step the short distance to him. With each step she pulled the laces of the delicate yet snug corset further apart, and with each inch released, the sequined fabric slipped free. Her hands were shaking as she pushed one slender strap then the other down her shoulders till only her bare arms were holding fabric to her chest.

He hadn't batted an eye. Wyvern's attention was focused solely on her and the way her shook, trembling hands working free the laces that held fabric to her body. His heart was now pounding faster and his breathing hitching with each moment that passed. With his throat tightening and his lips turning dry, he motioned her even closer with a flick of fingers.

This was a silence that could not be broken. The atmosphere in the room was so heavy that Beth could feel the pressure weighing down upon her. The dark look within his golden brown eyes coiled knots of slick heat within her core. And with each passing second, that knot grew tighter…and tighter…and tighter. She took another step forwards, one then two then three before stopping but an arm's reach from him. Without breaking the contact of their attention, she began to slide the expensive dress from her body.

Wyvern sucked in a breath, and though his insides screamed at him to take her, he showed no sign of his fracturing control. Each inch of flesh that was revealed to him was savored. His fingers itched to touch her and his lips ached to kiss her. When the fabric of her dress caught upon the curve of her hips, he leaned forwards with a groan of leather from the chair. His hands came to rest upon her hips with his eyes locked to her own. He gave a gentle tug. The fabric fell away to puddle upon the floor at her feet.

Now he could see her bare skin, so smooth and so pale - like white silk. Delicate lace barely held snug low upon her hips to cover the feminine core of her body and those ample, plush breasts were held in similar fabric leaving little to his imagination. A low, simmering growl pressed against his lips and his throat went dry as if he were starving for food.

"You are stunning," the Specter whispered tightly as he ran his roughened fingers along the bare curve of her hips then over her stomach. He spread his touch over muscles that tightened from her quickened breath.

Beth nipped at her lower lip as she watched the way his hands played over her flesh. "I'm sure you say that to every woman you invite over for the night."

Wyvern smirked, narrowing his eyes to her. "Would it surprise you to know that you are the first woman in years that I have asked to stay?"

"Yes, it would."

His smirk darkened and he leaned even closer to brush his lips along her navel. He was rewarded with the pleasing sound of a sweet little gasp of delight. "Well,' he breathed against her stomach, 'you are. I pride myself on my privacy and I dislike having females pawing at me, begging for me, throwing themselves at me, then you walked into my home. I had to have you."

"Had to have me?"

"Yes," he whispered, nipping at her stomach. Wyvern curled his fingers to her flesh as if meaning to keep her as close as possible. "And I will have you, every inch of your flesh to the very depths of your soul."

Beth's heart flittered within her chest. She moaned to the heat and the intensity held within his deep words as she combed her fingers through locks of sandy blonde. The want to feel his touch clawed at her from the inside out. There was nothing more Beth wished to do then beg him to touch her. He spoke about feeling every inch of her flesh and that is exactly what she wished he would do. Nipping her lower lip, she bit back a needful whimper of desperation the moment she felt his fingers drift up along her ribs, tickling along her sides till he slid fingers beneath lace and skin.

Wyvern easily pushed the fabric of her lacey bra upwards till her breasts were bared to him. A growl of hunger pressed forth from his mouth as he gazed upon the perfect globes. They were firm, youthful and fit perfectly into his palms as his fingers cupped her breasts tenderly. He gently pressed her breasts together, using his palms to tease the sensitive buds till they hardened against his skin.

He could feel the woman trembling as he caressed her. Keeping his gaze upon her, Wyvern watched the subtle shifts of pleasure dancing along her features. Her lips parted as tiny little sounds trickled forth each time he squeezed her, caressed her and palmed her. And when he began to tease her swollen nipples, Beth released a tight whimper of pleasure as she arched into his touch.

"So soft…"

Beth moaned harmoniously as she felt Wyvern slide his fingers beneath lace along her sides till he unclasped each silver clasp that held fabric to her. With a little huff, she pulled the bra off, tossing it away without a thought.

The Specter laughed deeply, amused as she nearly tore at the fabric without a care. A sly coil tucked his lips as he gazed upon her exposed breasts. He spoke not a word as he cupped those soft swells once again to raise a hard nipple to his mouth. The sound sucked into Beth's tight lungs set him on fire. She half gasped and half whimpered with a slight squeak to her voice. He felt her body jerk in response to the way his tongue flicked and wrapped about the bud before suckling upon it slowly…roughly.

The way his tongue played upon her, the way his lips suckled her, sent sensations she never had experienced rampaging throughout her body. No other lover in the past had teased her in such a way that had her kneels buckling or had her body so hot.

Wyvern slid his mouth from her breast but not before he gave one last lingering lick to her nipple. He gazed upon that taut bud, enjoying the glistening slickness upon the swollen flesh before he turned his hungered eyes to the other. He nipped that nipple till the young woman yelped and only then did he draw the bud into his mouth. This time he suckled her slowly, taking his time to lavish the nipple till the woman in his hands was putty to his desires.

Beth quivered, biting her lower lip as she felt a set of deadly fingers brush down her stomach, lower and lower till those fingers dipped beneath lace. Her entire body jerked the moment he parted her flesh to touch her intimately. She curled fingers into his hair, pulling just slightly, as a heated and throaty groan fell from her parted lips. His touch was masterful, the way his fingertips moved gently and slowly against her outer folds.

Wyvern growled hotly about the nipple within his lips. She was silkier than he had imagined and wet, hot, slick and perfect. He stroked her tenderly, back and forth…back and forth, gathering her slickness on his fingers. Every little sound that came from her was music to the Specters ears. As much as he loved the sounds of souls being torn apart, the quivering whimpers and trembling moans of his Starmate could tear his own soul apart. The sounds from her echoed through every fiber in his being and pulled upon the strings of his self-control.

"So wet…" he groaned, drawing his lips from her breast.

Wyvern raised his eyes, taking in with a moment's pleasure the look of bliss upon Beth's features. Her cheeks were slightly pinked and her eyes were closed with thick lashes dusting her cheeks. As he watched her, he parted her folds to trail a finger against her inner flesh, making sure to tease that little bundle of nerves that brought a sharp cry from her lips.

With a sly and devious grin to his lips, Wyvern licked a nipple before he drew the tight bud into his mouth to suckle once again and at the same time he slid a finger up into her wet core.

Beth's entire body spasmed to the invasion of his lean digit. The way he used that finger, twisting it and gliding it in and out of her, soon had Beth's entire body trembling. Her hips moved, dancing with each motion. The way his palm teased her as he pressed his finger within her was the perfect combination of sensations that had her whimpering little begs for more.

Suddenly the motions and the sensations were gone. Beth's hazed eyes drew open, looking down to see that Wyvern had withdrawn his finger from her and his lips from her breast. He arched back once again to lean into the chair as a sly, twisted grin took his lips. She nearly collapsed to the floor when the dangerous man lifted his slick finger to his lips, licking the glistening juices from his flesh before motioning to him her with the same digit.

He didn't need to speak to her, issue a command or an order. Beth knew what she was to do by that simple motion. She took a deep breath then forced herself to move. Upon stocking covered steps, she crossed the short distance then slowly slid herself into Rhadamanthys' lap till her sleek thighs were parted and resting comfortably about his lean hips. Having him beneath her, seated like this sent a thrill of power through her body. It was as if she could feel some incredible form of energy surging through him, and that energy was coiling its way right into her.

Wyvern skimmed his palms up along her sleek legs that were delicately covered in a hand knitted mesh of black silk from toes up to mid thighs were a red bow held them tight. Sitting back, he forced himself to allow her a moment to adjust, yet that moment seemed to tick slowly on by as he played with the ribbons in hopes of keeping himself from simply ripping into her. That blush had darkened upon her cheeks, and her eyes were covered by clouds of lust as she trembled there upon his lap.

Arching his body, Wyvern brushed his lips along her collarbone. "Did you like that?" he asked in a hushed whisper while guiding his hands higher upon her thighs till he pulled upon the lace fabric of her panties. To add to his question, he let a few fingers slip down between her parted thighs, beneath fabric, to caress and tease her slick folds.

The moment he touched her, Beth felt her entire body cave in. She whimpered to the tease of his finger, and when he slid two digits into her hot core, she nearly cried out in pleasure! Thighs tightened about his hips as she shifted eagerly upon his lap.

A proud, arrogant chuckle came from the Hell Judge as he not only listened but watched her reactions. "Yes,' he purred in that deep resonating voice of his, 'I do believe you enjoy this." To make his point he thrust his fingers hard up into her then ground his palm against her folds till she was shaking, trembling and crying out to him.

"Do you want more?" he asked as he twisted his fingers inside of her then drew them out so he could rub her quivering clit.

"Yes…oh yes…" Beth breathed out in a heated moan as she rocked her hips to his fingers. She wanted more, so much more as her mind began to spin into the depths of desire.

Grinning, Wyvern drew back from her.

Beth whimpered the moment his fingers slid from her body to leave her achingly empty.

Wyvern wanted to test her. He wanted to know how far she would go to reach that pinnacle of sexual cravings. This night was hers, not his. So he spread his arms before her. "Then take what you want of me."

Beth nipped her lips at the offering from him. She couldn't deny how incredibly sexy this man was. The way his tight body seemed to ripple with corded muscles even beneath the silk of his shirt. With a chuckle of pure innocence, Beth reached out her hands to skim fingers along the buttoned seem of his shirt.

"Are you giving me permission to do with you as I want?"

A dark, lust filled cloud crossed Wyvern's handsome features. "Anything you want."

"Why?"

He tipped his head. "In my domain, I am master. Yet even I am willing to hand over my control to a beautiful woman for one night to experience the sexual insanity that she harbors within her."

"Insanity?" Beth chuckled as she unbuttoned the first button then parted the fabric. She leaned forwards brushing her lips along the exposed flesh.

"We all have insanity within us,' Wyvern hissed through a quick hitch of air, 'how we use it is the question."

She huffed daintily, unbuttoning another button. She kissed that section of hard skin only to add a little nip as her nimble fingers released another button. Kisses were trailed upwards with tender presses of lips to flesh. "I suppose you're right," Beth whispered as she offered a devious and sly little smile while fingers curled into the expensive maroon silk that covered the man's chest, and in one swift pull she tore the shirt clean apart.

The room echoed with the sound of ripping fabric as buttons went skittering across the wooden floor. Wyvern's eyes flashed and his lips curled to a grin. For a moment his flesh seemed to prickle and his Cosmos flared in pure excitement as Beth tore open his shirt. He didn't try to stop her, simply gazed at her with a look of intense hunger.

"That's better," he snarled in approval then fisted a hand into her hair, pulling her mouth to his.

This kiss was animalistic with his hunger ravaging her succulent mouth with the want to devour her. He bit and nipped at her lips, pulling whimpers from her till he soothed the stung flesh with licks from his tongue. A dark snarl tumbled past the kiss when he felt her nails rake down his chest, no doubt leaving tiny red marks in their wake. The sting from her nails sent bumps of delight across him.

"Much better," he murmured against her sweet mouth as he pressed her body close to his own with a hand against the dip of her spine. A flame of heat exploded in his groin when she deviously rocked her hips against him, teasing him so wonderfully.

"No more play," Rhadamanthys hissed dangerously as he suckled upon her tongue. He curled his fingers to her pert rump, giving her a buck forwards as he jerked his hips up against her parted thighs.

Beth whined into the hot kiss and tightened her thighs about his. Hot liquid pooled within her core as she felt his hardened and clothed flesh brush against her thinly clad, moist folds. "No more play?" she asked softly as she tore her lips away so her devious tongue could attack the shell of his ear. She licked the curved flesh before nibbling upon the lobe.

Wyvern shuddered. His closed his eyes as his lips parted in a silent gasp of pleasure.

"What if I want to play?"

The question drew a chuckle from the Specter. He tightened his fist within her hair, eliciting a gasp from the beautiful female as he pulled her back just enough to cause her body to arch gracefully. "What happened to shy Bethany who was trembling not too long ago?"

A throaty moan tumbled from Beth as she arched her throat into the sensations of a slick tongue washing across her flesh. Fingers curled to his chest. "Seize the moment."

"I see,' he chuckled, nipping the underside of her jaw, 'then seize the moment. Do what you desire with me."

Beth purred wickedly. "Dangerous words," she chuckled with a set of fingers trailing down Wyvern's exposed chest, further down over the sculpted muscles of his stomach then down to play with the buckle of the belt looping black slacks. "Do you usually let your lovers play with you?"

"No,' he replied huskily, 'I do not. You are an exception."

"Am I?" she inquired while little fingers worked free the belt buckle then unclasped the hook of his slacks. "What makes me so special?"

Wyvern felt his groin jerk to the expectation of Beth's touch as the zipper of his slacks being released. His breath hitched when he felt a touch ghost over his burning erection. With a soft breath released, the Specter cupped his new found lover's features. He trailed his touch along her jaw as his eyes gazed right to her own.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he whispered then guided her lips to his. He kissed her softly, tenderly, as his fingers trailed and ghosted along her neck in simple bliss.

Beth sighed, her body melting into this sweet kiss. She was so gentle, timid as she slipped her fingers past fabric to find his hot, hard and aching shaft. The moment her fingers closed about him, his firm shaft jerked in response and the man sucked in a deep breath of air. She caressed him slowly, from thick base to swelling tip. He was so very thick, and each inch was lined in blood filled veins. The simple feel of him swelling within her hand had her body aching to be filled. She couldn't begin to comprehend how he would feel buried deep within her body, thrusting and driving hard.

Her body shuddered at the mere thought and images drifting within her mind. With a soft whimper, she broke that tender kiss to lean close to him so that her lips could play upon his thick column of his neck, and with a tiny nudge of her nose to his chin, Beth urged his head back so she could suckle upon his jugular.

Wyvern tightened his grip. The play of her lips and tongue sent his mind closer and closer into oblivion. The way her fingers tightened about him, holding him so dangerously, had his body throbbing for her. Unable to stop himself, he took her hand in his to show her how to stroke him.

That was it!

Beth felt her resolve crack as he guided her movements. Her mind could no longer ignore the call of her body. With her heart pounding within her chest, Beth ground herself against him while she stroked him. When her fingers were coated by his slickness she released him, earning her a threatening growl from Wyvern.

With her sexual ego energized by the power he had gifted her, Beth kissed his growling lips. "Don't worry,' she mewed ever so faintly, 'I have a much better place to hold you than my fingers."

Oh…fucking…Hell….

The sound that came from Wyvern Rhadamanthys was a sound that only a Demon could create. A surge of animalistic lust tore through the man as he threaded his hands into bound hair, and with a snarl, drew Beth's mouth to his. He ravaged her, savaging her mouth in a kiss that let her shivering upon his lap.

Spurred on by this incredible embrace, Beth lifted herself just a bit, drew aside lace then guided the tip of Wyvern's hard shaft into her. The instant the swollen tip spread her folds and pierced her body was the moment Beth threw her head back and cried out to the room.

Wyvern hissed as if in pain when he felt tight…slick…heat embrace him. It was incredible! Beth's body clutched him like a leather glove, a perfect fit that felt almost virginal. Wrapping his arms about her trembling body, he buried his features in her heaving breasts.

One breath...

Two breaths…

Three breaths….

Then one sweet moaning gasp.

Beth felt her body being guided further down upon Wyvern's throbbing flesh. Each inch that was pressed up inside of her parted her inner walls to accommodate him. He was so large, so thick and swollen that Beth felt as if her body was being parted from the insides out! With one yank upon her hips, she was impaled upon his aching flesh. She cried out, wrapping her arms about his neck, as her entire body shook from head to toes.

There was no want to take this moment slow. Beth wanted to experience all this man could give her in one mind blowing explosion of orgasmic bliss. Yet when she went to move her body, a sharp sway of her hips, Wyvern tightened his hold upon her hips, stopping her movements.

Panting with the loss of her control and the intense want to drive herself wild upon this man, she whimpered brokenly and desperately into his ear, "I…want…"

He knew what she wanted for his own body mirrored her uncontrolled need. His voice shook, nearly cracking, as he pressed his lips against her cheek. He mumbled softly, "I know what you want, my lady, but if you move now you'll end this too early."

Beth didn't listen. She shifted her hips ever so slightly while she tightened her folds and walls about Wyvern's flesh in a snug grip. The man beneath her let out a deep, bestial groan. She wasn't going to stop, not when she needed this so badly. Even with the tight grip upon her hips, Beth began to move. Hips danced, shifting forwards then back to move his hard flesh against her soft, hot walls.

Back and forth in that motion of sexual bliss - back and forth.

Wyvern groaned against the woman as he nuzzled her neck so tenderly. He wanted her to stop, but when she began to move the thought of holding her still went shattered. This time when he took hold of her hips it was to move her, slowly at first but when his body wanted more and more, he began to move her faster…deeper…harder.

Beth clutched him, her fingers curling tightly in his hair. Thighs tightened, gripping like a vice about his clothed hips as she was moved faster and harder. Her hips moved as she ground herself against him, moving that hard flesh within her in such a beautiful, wonderful caress. Each move had her whimpering and moaning so sweetly those little sounds of pleasure. Within moments Beth was thrusting herself wildly upon him.

Over and over and over did she thrust and grind down upon Wyvern's embedded shaft. The man was grunting, growling and snarling with approval of her motions. He gripped her body, curling his fingers with such a bite that her skin would no doubt bruise. But he wanted more, so much and more, that he began to buck her upon him. He thrust up, meeting her bucking, as he pulled her down with such ferocity that she would scream out!

Over the crackling fire, Beth's cries of pleasure increased as did Wyvern's grunts and growls of his own enjoyment. The shadows of the dancing flames shadowed Beth's body, leaving her glistening skin to glow within the dim room. Rhadamanthys' leaned his body back, reserving to watching the woman working herself upon him. His hungry gaze locked upon the changing erotic expressions upon her beautiful features.

"That's it…" he groaned deeply as his lover found the perfect rhythm in which to torment both their bodies. When he released her hips, Wyvern cupped her bouncing breasts within his deadly hands, palming and caressing them as she rode him harder and harder.

There was no sensation the Specter could explain than what he felt at this moment. Beth's body was so tight, so wet and slick that he was too close to his own release. Wyvern prided himself upon his control with his sexual exploits, yet with this beautiful woman upon him, he had no control.

Harder…faster…deeper!

As quick as the passion started it came to an explosive end as Beth's body coiled into one intense release. She drove herself as hard as she could, teasing her flesh with his, just before her release tore through her with claws of sexual Heaven. She threw her head back as a cry broke her parted lips. Wave after wave of her orgasm rushed through her causing every muscle to spasm and tighten!

Wyvern wasn't about to let his release end their pleasure. He watched Beth as her body bowed backwards in the throw of sexual bliss, but no further would he allow their play to go. Instead, he picked her up as her body continued to shiver and carried her across the room to lay her upon the large bed without his rock hard member slipping from her. He bowed over her, taking her lips in a bruising kiss as he shrugged out of his shirt and somehow managed to dislodge his slacks from his body. And when he was naked, he pressed himself down upon Beth's trembling body.

Every inch of her flesh he caressed while he slowly stroked her spasming core. He wanted her hot and ready for him again. After kissing her mouth, he raised a firmly swollen breast to his lips so he could feast upon the hard nipple. With the friction of flesh to flesh building and building, Beth was soon rocking her hips up to meet his own.

She moaned and whimpered with her head rolling upon the pillows to each slide of his throbbing shaft within her. Nails came to score his back, leaving deep lines along the tight muscles till she dug those nails into his flexing buttocks.

The Specter growled about the nipple in his mouth. Her nails bit him harshly, roughly, but damn how he liked it. But when enough was enough of having his hide torn open, he grasped Beth's hands in his own to pin them over her head with a hard thump of her arms upon the bed.

Tearing his mouth from her breast, the Hell Judge moved to loom over her. Gods, how beautiful she looked. Her breasts heaved with each strained breath and her cheeks flushed with her lips swollen from their brutal kisses.

"So, you like to play rough…hmm?" he asked with a dark grin curling his lips.

Beth whimpered, licking her dry lips as she looked to the man hovering over her. His sandy blonde hair was damp with strands sticking to his handsome features. Now that she was under him, she could feel his body straining with power.

She purred in pleasure as he flexed his hips, allowing a deep thrust of his shaft to drive deep into her body. Arching her body, Beth skimmed her bare legs along his till one hooked about his hips, giving her temporary lover such a perfect angle into her that she could feel the swollen tip of him bump against her womb.

Wyvern took hold of her wrists in one hand so he could skim fingertips down along the curve of a bare arm. Fingers took hold of her chin, drawing her attention to him where he saw clouds of erotic bliss drifting within those copper eyes. "Look at me," he whispered hotly as he brushed his thumb along her parted lips.

The command sent razor sharp trembles through Beth. Her lips parted to his passing finger to which she flicked her tongue out to meet. When the finger paused over her mouth, she grinned, lifted her head and slid her warm mouth about it. For the love of everything deadly, Wyvern groaned with his eyes closing the moment she began to suckle his finger. She washed her tongue along the underside then nibbled the tip in such a lovely fashion that he could only imagine just how talented her mouth could be on other parts of his body.

Whatever hold on reality he had snapped!

Wyvern's eyes seemed to flash. He pulled his finger from her mouth, grasped her about the throat then clamped his hot mouth down upon her own. He kissed her violently, brutally at the same time he drove himself within her in equal viciousness!

Beth's entire body bucked and spasmed as he began to drive himself in and out of her body. With each thrust the bed bounced beneath her from the intensity of the man's powerful motions. There seemed no end to his hunger. There was no hope in continuing the kiss. Wyvern's hips bucked roughly, driving himself over and over and in and out as deep and as hard as he could. Beth's flesh clutched him with each thrust as if her internal walls were perfect gloves of lusciously slick skin. Bowing above her, the Specter tightened his eyes shut as blonde hair tumbled forwards in messy folds, his head bowing in concentration. He wanted each drive of his body to be perfection, absolutely perfection.

Soon the sounds of the crackling fire was drowned out by the increasing echoes of cries, moans and slick, hot flesh slapping and bumping against one another. The bed groaned and creaked beneath the pounding the two were giving and receiving while writing and twisting like coiling snakes.

There was no end to their building passion, their sexual cravings. From one position to another did Wyvern turn her and mold her and not once did he leave her body. Each move was perfect, and each move left Beth wanting more and more of this man.

How many times had she cried out his name in orgasmic ecstasy? She could no longer count. Then again, she could no longer think! Beth had long ago released her control to Rhadamanthys. When he moved she moved and voiced no argument when she found herself pressed down to the bed, face first, and with her pert rump in the air, fingers coiling into the bed sheets that were strewn about from their rolling bodies.

Wyvern ran his hands along her slick body, stroking her on the outside as he stroked her from the inside. He kept her legs parted, giving him full and deep access to her inner passage. He pressed her down by a hand at the back of her neck then scratch his nails down her spine, causing a bite of pain to the woman beneath him. This was how he wanted her, bent upon his bed and giving herself to him willingly, to be taken like a woman in heat with wanting nothing more than to be taken over and over and over again. Beth was just that and so much more!

Reaching forwards, Wyvern ran a set of deadly fingers through her hair only to grab a fist full of her beautiful locks. Gently, yet forcefully, he pulled back upon her hair till he had her body arched before him.

Beth cried out as her body was pulled upwards by her own hair. Like a dream, Beth felt her body being moved yet her mind was far away. Through clouded eyes, she stared at the intricate Venetian mirror that hung over the headboard of the bed. In its reflection she could see Wyvern's naked body, glistening with sweat while moving behind her – taut muscles flexing and tightening. She saw him holding her hair by a fist and watched in transfixed awe as he took hold of one arm and then the other, releasing her hair. Beth found herself held up completely by the man's strength. He didn't miss a beat of his rhythmic assault into her body and all she could do was give in and allow him to have her.

Before she knew what was happening, Beth was tumbling into another powerful release. Her body quaked from the insides out as she threw back her head to scream in pure pleasure. This was a level of erotic heights that she had never climbed before. This time her release was felt down into the depths of her soul.

When Beth's orgasm tore through her, her body spasmed around him, drawing him into the clutches of his own release. Wyvern had held himself off this entire time, giving into the experience rather than the end that would come with his release! However, no longer could he hold himself back and with a deep animalistic howl the Hell Judge came with a blaze of his cruel cosmos. He drove into Beth's trembling core once then twice more before empting his dead seed into her welcoming womb.

Beth swore she felt him seeping into her. He touched her so deep, through her soul and into her very essence. She couldn't explain the sensation as her entire body fell forwards with her release. Falling to the bed, Beth's naked and convulsing body rested upon soft sheets as she panted heavily for air.

Wyvern leaned down, brushing his lips along the back of her damp shoulders. He was still buried inside of her trembling channel, his erection slowly softening. "Are you alright?" he inquired in a husky, quivering voice as he brushed back a few locks of her hair that had tumbled forwards. With a trail of soft kisses, he tasted her salt coated skin and nipped one of her shoulders drawing a slight mew from her.

Somehow she managed to nod her head. "Yes," she replied weakly with little to no strength to muster a smile.

A chuckle was his reply as he slid from her hot core. Both moaned as their bodies were separated. Wyvern eased himself down to the bed. In the past, this is when he would nearly kick a woman from his bed and order her from his home then forget about her. Not this time. He couldn't stop himself as it seemed his body reacted by order of his soul. He gathered Beth into his arms, drawing her against him. He held her, quietly listening to the powerful thumping of her heart and the heaviness of her breathing.

Beth wasn't expecting this move nor would she fight it. The instant his arms were around her, securing him to her, was the moment Beth melted into him. She sighed, running her hands along the powerful contours of his arms before lacing her fingers with his. Raising one of his hands, Beth nibbled the underside of his palm. She then tucked his hand beneath her cheek as she closed her eyes.

"Isn't this when you tell me to leave and I go off never to hear from you again?"

Wyvern played his fingers over her cheek as he gazed upon the faint birthmark of his Starmark that rested at the base of her neck. She may not know what the mark truly means, but he did. Her soul was his, bound together by a millennia old decree.

"Not this time," he said, pressing his lips to her mating mark.

Beth shifted just a bit to peek over her shoulder, speaking softly, "Oh? Am I that special?"

Smirking, he gave her a slight nod before he buried his features into her neck and taking a deep draw of her scent. He could never forget her delicate scent. "Very," he breathed.

There was a tone to that single word that sent a wave of shivers along her spine. Twisting about, Beth released his hands so she could face him - gaze to him. He was looking to her with a calm expression, yet within his unique eyes of gold Beth could see a shadow of uncertainty. Her lips parted as if to inquire to what he was thinking but for some reason the words never came forth. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his chin.

"So…am I staying the night then?" she asked with a hopeful smile to her lips.

The Specter ran fingers along her back as he tipped his head so he could look down to her. "Yes." He kissed her forehead.

"I won't stay long in the morning. I'm sure you have…"

Rhadamanthys touched a finger to her lips, hushing her words. "You'll stay for breakfast."

"I will?"

"Yes. There is something of great importance that we must discuss, but tonight is not the time." He tipped her chin down with a touch of fingers so he could kiss her brow again. "For now, you must rest. I will be here when you wake."

Beth frowned with curiosity knitting her delicate features. She couldn't help but ponder what he had to tell her, and almost every possible topic flooded her mind. She didn't know why she didn't push him for clarity, but she didn't. She fell quiet, drawing in a deep breath of air that was released with a little mew.

"Answer me one thing."

Wyvern nuzzled her neck. "Ask me what you will."

"Why do I have the sense that I have been here before, in this same spot and in your arms?" Beth shifted till she was facing him. She raised a hand to caress the back of knuckles along his sculpted jawline.

Wyvern locked his eyes with hers. Catching her wrist, he drew her open palm to his lips for a kiss. "Search your soul for the answer, Beth. We'll talk more in the morning."

"You're a very confusing man," she chuckled with a little shake of her head.

He laughed softly, deeply. When she moved closer to him, Rhadamanthys tucked her close within his protective hold. They settled down to the bed as the room fell once more to the quietude of the crackling flames.

When he was sure that Beth and fallen into the hold of slumber, the General and Judge of Hell dipped his head so he could whisper to her soul. "Come back to me, Bethany. Return to my side and be with me for the rest of our lives. Stand next to me as my queen and take your rightful place."

He gently kissed her cheek. "Listen to my voice. Hear me call to your reborn soul and know that I have been waiting for your reappearance for so very long, my love."

"My Starmate…" 

26


End file.
